B) Someone on that crew was appointed to climb the mast and be the look out.

Transcription

1 Getting Vertical Part 3 2 Chronicles 20 - King Jehoshaphat Intro: In the days when men primarily traveled by sail boat from one continent to the next A)There was a very important activity that was crucial to a ship s survival. B) Someone on that crew was appointed to climb the mast and be the look out. C) Sometimes when the seas were rough, the swells were high hard to see beyond the next coming wave 1) That member of the crew would climb the mast to getting a higher perspective D) To point the ship in a direction toward land or out of danger 1) It was often the only way for the captain and his crew to see beyond what was right in front of them As believers it is important that we learn to climb the spiritual mast to get a higher perspective A) To see the things going on in our lives to see what is on the horizon from a higher perspective From God s perspective B) Wed nites 2 Chron. Here on Sunday paused indepth look - 3 Kings We are currently doing a series called getting vertical C) Seeing The importance of seeing life from more than just a horizontal perspective from man s view 1) But the need to go higher see life from God s perspective to seek Him His heart and vision D) We are focusing on three of the Kings of Judah who are good examples to us of what that looks like 1) Two weeks Asa today Jehoshaphat finish by spending a couple of weeks looking at Hezekiah Today we are going to look at an event that took place in the life of King Jehoshaphat that gives us some very practical insights into what is involved in Getting vertical 1 st some background A)Wed Ch Today Highlights Jehoshaphat / reigned in Judah 25 yrs

2 Aa) Great King Asa s son inherits a kingdom in much better shape B) Under his father s leadership Judah had 35 yrs of blessing and Revival 1) Kingdom was thriving C) Except the last 6yrs were marked by war with Baasha the King of Israel.Asa s disobedience D) But Jehoshaphat takes over a kingdom where the people were seeking God 1) Sacrifice was reinstituted God had blessed Ch.17:6 Took delight in the ways of the Lord A) Didn t just follow it He took delight in it! B) That is One of the strengths of the man that all the Kings were compared to the measuring stick DAVID Psalm 40:8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart." Psalm 119:24 Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors. C) It is a great thing in the life of a believer when He comes to a place where He so loves the Lord 1) That God has our best interest at heart that He looks at God s word and delights in it. D) God honors that heart - Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. V.7-9 He placed a greater emphasis on the teaching of the word organized teachers in Judah A) Men who went throughout the land of Judah teaching the Law of the Lord B) God always blesses when His people place a greater emphasis on the teaching of His word But as great as Jehoshophat was, he wasn t perfect A) Ch.18 we see a mistake He marries into the wrong family

3 B) He marries the daughter of the wickedest King and Queen in Israel s History Ahab & Jezebeel C) Why? Maybe she was a real looker He was smitten with her beauty A BABE 1) Thought I will convert her Maybe it was political D) But thru that alliance he ends up in a battle he doesn t belong in. Wed nite But the thing that I like about Jehosh. Is that he recovers doesn t become a pattern Ch.19 : He delegates Not do everything himself He sets up judges in the land A) Judge for the Lord Men who will walk in the fear of the Lord not the wisdom of men B) But the highlight of his reign happens in Ch. 20 Look at today Big Test V.1-2 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar" (which is En Gedi). Great place to stop and be refreshed So 3 Kingdoms are coming against him / Now anyone of these groups would be a formidable foe but together Wow V.3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. A) He is afraid Normal Ok But he doesn t stay there notice how he deals with his fear 1) He Set Himself - to seek the Lord B) He Set Himself describes taking a fixed position not going to be moved 1) He FORCED HIMSELF C) See here one of the first keys to getting vertical 1) It involves taking a fixed position to seek God! Now that could involve a place Your prayer place seek God hear from God A) I have some places that I like to go where I hear His voice clearly B) But I think more than a place, it speaks of an attitude Lord I am digging in not going to be moved or distracted from seeking you right now C) What made these kings great what makes churches great great Christians

4 1) when we set ourselves to seek the Lord Notice 2 nd it involved calling upon others to seek the Lord as well. A) Called for a fast Said to the nation this is big, we need to fast and seek the Lord B) Fasting is denying the physical in order to seek the spiritual. Denying flesh give to the spiritual C) Normal part of the Christian life Jesus said Matt 6 when you fast,.. not if but when 1) Normal When you do it, do it secretly not like the Hypocrites D) Your God who sees in secret will reward you openly. There are times when it is appropriate for leadership to call for a fast A) Sept 4 th our meeting with city planning commission B) Went into that meeting feeling like we had their favor all the signals we were getting 1) Didn t want to be presumptuous or ignorant of the fact the enemy might want to set into motion a last minute plan to trip us up C) I know Satan doesn t want this to happen. Remember this he doesn t want to see more ministry happen More lives touched / kids discipled D) Oct 9 th Calling for a fast again. Later in October a week set aside for fasting, prayer here Notice Jehoshaphat s prayer great prayer V So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. 5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 6 and said: "O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? Great prayer A) We saw his father Asa s prayer life Ch.14:11 great prayer Special verse to me Lord you are able to save by many or by few B) Those who have no power - Lord that is me Lord that is us we have no power no

5 might simple people, needy people C) We rest in you We go out in your name oh God 1) Going out in all that your name represents for us D) That was Asa s prayer and like father like Son here we see Jehoshophat s prayer Life 3 rd Thing in getting vertical: It involves seeing God clearly -/ yourself clearly / relationship to God clearly V.6 "O LORD God of our fathers, Focus: Covenant Keeping God God of our fathers Promise keeping God are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations Focus on God s authority and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? Focus Power and might Your strength Focusing on that fact that God is bigger than their problem bigger than their foe Then He moves to consider God s past faithfulness 7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? God who is our friend / FOR YOU! Great to remember God s past faithfulness A) I was talking to someone the other day enormity of this building project thing Overwhelming, scary B) But how the 3 biggest things in my life God moved in unusual ways to confirm 1) My call to ministry Time seeking God s direction Pulls me out of a crowd of 700 people C) Marry Denise My Mom/ HER mom D) The Land { Nowhere else to go! God wakes up Greg Hamman 1) Greg is not that kind of guy Practical.. I cling to those things His past faithfulness prayers answered A )Here Jehoshaphat is relying on God s past faithfulness

6 B) You are the one who gave us this land settled your people here! 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 9'If disaster comes upon us sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.' * Referring back to Solomon s Prayer for the temple in Ch And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them 11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. You wouldn t let us attack them when we were coming out of Egypt Now they are rewarding us by attacking us V.12 Gem 12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." I hold these words sacred Lord, we have no power, our eyes are on You A) Powerful when God s people confess their inability B )God, I don t have any power God, I can t do this.. C) God wants to move more than we want Him to move but He wants to get the glory D) Sometimes He needs to bring us to the end of ourselves before that can happen 1) But when we confess our inability He responds Recall Solomon, Lord I am young and inexperienced Give me wisdom to lead these people A) God responds, gives wisdom & so much more! B) Asa Lord we are outnumbered and weak C) Now Jehoshaphat Lord we have no power Lord we don t know what to do But our eyes are on You!!

7 D) Great prayer- Great heart that is the heart God is looking for in us 1) Quit trying to be macho quit trying to show how smart we are God, I don t know turn to you E) I have been doing that a lot lately There are times where God just seems to manifest shortcomings 13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD. 14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. Lord moves when his people fast / seek Him sends a messenger with this word of encouragement 15 And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you:'do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. God s word to some of us today: Don t be afraid A) Don t be Dismayed confused, beat down, discouraged B) Don t be afraid or discouraged by this great thing that is before you the battle is NOT YOURS 1) Cling to that today: - Not yours, but God s 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. [Position] yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; AGAIN GET THIS: tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you." Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord A) Stop worrying fretting scheming Stop rest trust, believe See His salvation { Position of faith 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. Bowed down good to get on our faces before God 19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.

8 That ends this day: Hearts up lifted, worshipping, trusting / Pumped up 20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper." Now it almost seems here that Jeh. Sensed some reservation from the people in the morning night to sleep on it fear creeping back Mark of a great leader He seeks to help them to get focused on God again The need for daily reminders 4th Key to getting vertical Believe and be established A) Believe His word and you shall prosper B) Oswald Chambers We don t always think clearly, sometimes our minds can really get muddled but we always need to see clearly. C) Why Focus on God We see Him His past faithfulness - - His promises 1) Believe and be established Settled Set firm YES LORD D) Here is where Jeh. Does something incredible feet to faith UNIQUE BATTLE STRATEGY 1) Puts the worship team in front of the army! 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, NIV the splendor of His holiness as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever." 5 th Pt Worship plays a Huge part in getting Vertical A) Note this is huge they are worshipping before they saw God work Praising before the Victory B) Easy to praise God after the victory, after the prayer is answered after the healing miracle 1) But what about in the Jam

9 C) Paul and Silas in Prison Sang songs wasn t the blues singing in the night 1) Earthquake Prison door opened D) Praise = Yadah = to worship w/ extended hands E) Lifting hands lifting hearts lifting voices 1) Full expression of Adoration and surrender Love what it says next! 22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. So as they began to worship God moved, set AMBUSHES - they just stood there amazed A) God wants us to lay hold of this today. B) Believe and be established In Faith Worship C) God is going to set up Ambushes today begin to work in your situation Read V B) Their biggest trial became the source of of their greatest blessing 1) Took 3 days to gather the spoil C) What they first thought was going to destroy them ended up enriching them. For us today: Be Dismayed or we can believe and be established - Worship